Stored value card and carrier assembly with tamper evident label

ABSTRACT

A stored value card and carrier assembly including a carrier formed from one or more panels, at least one stored value card sandwiched and sealed within the carrier, and a label removably adhered or coupled to the card and adhered or coupled to an interior of the carrier such that the bond to the carrier or card is greater than the bond to the other of the card or carrier. The label includes at least a portion of activation indicia, such as a barcode, either printed or otherwise applied thereon. Upon removal of the card from the carrier, the label remains coupled to one of the carrier or the card, whichever bond is greater, rending any remaining activation indicia on the other of the stored value card or carrier unreadable.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/331,016 filed May 3, 2016, which is herebyincorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to stored value cards, and moreparticularly relates to a assembly used for securing activation datawithin a secure package for stored value cards, the assembly beingconfigured to destroy a portion of the activation barcode should astored value card be removed from the package for fraudulent purposes.

BACKGROUND

Stored value cards, which may also be known as gift cards, prepaidcards, shopping cards or fare cards, prepaid Mastercard™ and Visa™ cards(instant issue) among other names, are very popular with both consumersand retailers. The wide appeal of stored value cards, as a result, hasattracted the unwelcome attention of criminals seeking to exploit theconveniences and automated processes afforded by such cards. Inparticular, such criminals misappropriate and manipulate stored valuecards and associated account information to perform fraudulenttransactions. Stored value card fraud is typically perpetrated in theform of either at the physical point of sale (POS) or “card present”fraud, or for virtual POS purchases or “card not present” (CNP) fraud.The latter includes transactions such as in e-commerce or internetpurchases that cannot be authenticated using “standard” processes usedat the physical POS.

A stored value card is typically the size and shape of a conventionalcredit card (CR80 Card) and includes a magnetic stripe, barcode or othersimilar activation method, account identifying element, or means forusing the card. The stripe, code, account identifying element, etc. onthe card is encoded with data, which includes a unique account number.The account activation indicia, for example, may be visible while thecard is secured in or secured to packaging, such that the accountactivation indicia may be used during the purchase and activation of thecard.

Commonly, stored value cards are displayed by retailers for purchase bycustomers. The cards may be stored in an active or inactive state. Ifstored in an inactive state, the card cannot be used to purchase goodsor services until the card has been activated. A customer may have acard activated by bringing a card to a cashier and having the cashierthen, for example, swipe the card through a point of sale terminal,which may add value to the card in exchange for payment, or activatevalue already on the card. In this context, the “swipe” action couldinvolve passing a card (or its packaging) though a magnetic stripreader/writer; or passing the card or package over a barcode scanner; orputting the card or package in the vicinity of a proximity reader/writer(such as, for example, an RFID reader/writer), or any other equivalentactivation technique. A balance on the card may be maintained within acomputer system located at the point of sale or at a remote location. Aholder of the stored value card may then use the card to purchase goodsand/or services immediately or over time up to the value of the card.These current procedures relating to stored value cards, althoughproviding convenience to consumers, leave the cards vulnerable tocriminals.

One particular fraud that is perpetuated by criminals with regard tostored value cards is called “skimming.” Skimming is a serious problemresulting in significant loss to both retailers and consumers, andapplies to both card present and CNP fraud. To skim a card having amagnetic stripe holding account information, for example, a criminalwill purchase a stored value card from a retailer, thereby causing anaccount associated with the card to become activated. The criminal willthen remove additional cards from the store that have not yet beenactivated, and will then alter magnetically stored information on theinactivated cards to match that of the activated card. As such, all ofthe altered, inactivated cards will have the magnetic information thatidentifies the account of the originally purchased card. The criminalwill then return the altered cards to the store shelf where unsuspectingcustomers seeking to purchase a stored value card will unknowingly placemoney into the account of the criminal holding the originally purchasedcard. The unsuspecting customer may attempt to use their card and willbe told that it has no associated value or has a smaller value thanthought. The retailer may be able to verify that the customer did notuse the value associated with the stored value card, and in the interestof customer service, may restore the value to the customer. In thatcase, the retailer loses the money. However, in some cases, there may beno way to prove fraud and the customer may lose up to the entire value.

Another type of fraud that is perpetrated by criminals with regard tostored value cards is unauthorized activation. Specifically with securepackaging, activation indicia, such as a barcode, is printed on the cardand positioned beneath a perforated pull tab. Account information, suchas a PIN or account number, is also on the card and sealed withinpackage. Fraud is perpetrated when a criminal takes a stored valuepackage from a retailer without purchasing the card. The criminal willthen carefully remove the card from the package, and steal accountinformation from the card and either replace the card within the packageor with another card with an activation barcode, and carefully resealthe pack. The criminal rehangs or replaces the package at the retailerlocation. The criminal then waits until package is sold by visuallychecking if pack is still on rack or attempts to check balance online.An unsuspecting customer then purchases the package and activates thestored value card, unknowingly placing money into the account of thecriminal holding the originally purchased card or with access to theoriginal account information. The unsuspecting customer may attempt touse their card and will be told that it has no associated value or has asmaller value than thought.

Another fraud perpetuated by criminals is carried out by the criminalviewing stored value cards in the store. The criminal writes down thecode associated with the particular stored value card (such as a creditcard type number) while it is still in the store. In such situations thecode is in plain view of the criminal or may be easily viewed withoutaltering the card packaging. Once the criminal has recorded the code,the criminal waits for a period of time, assuming that an unsuspectingcustomer will purchase and have the card activated during that time. Thecriminal then periodically checks to see if they are able to makepurchases, such as online purchases (CNP fraud), by attempting to usethe card code. If the card has been activated by the true purchaser, thecriminal will be able to purchase goods online using the activated code,thereby stealing the balance on the card from the true purchaser.

Criminals may perpetuate the above-described frauds or other frauds withregard to stored value cards as they sit on store shelves today. Thus,there is a need for a way to protect such cards and insure that theyhave not been tampered with or duplicated prior to purchase oractivation by an innocent consumer.

There have been proposals and attempts to reduce the occurrence of fraudassociated with stored value cards. For example, modifications to cardreaders or other parts of the activation process have been proposed, butchanging existing systems in such ways involves significant cost.Additional steps have been added to the activation process for somecards, such as steps involving pin numbers and web access. However,additional steps reduce the level of convenience that such cards provideto consumers.

Other attempts at reducing the occurrence of fraud include packaging ofthe card such that unauthorized tampering with the packaging or cardtherein is visually evident. Examples of these types of secure packs caninclude, for example, sealing the card, sensitive information concerningthe card, or combinations thereof within a single or multi-panel carriersuch that a breach of the package destroys the carrier. However, thesepackages have been vulnerable to breach by the use of a sharpinstrument, such as a razor blade, to slice open the package at itssealed edge. The card and/or information are then accessed for skimmingpurposes, and the package is resealed, without evidence that it has beencompromised.

Therefore, there remains a need for a way to prevent fraud relating tostored value cards that is effective, and inexpensive to implement,while at the same time not negating the convenience of stored valuecards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the inventions are directed to a stored value card andcarrier assembly which includes a carrier formed from one or morepanels, at least one inactive or active stored value card sandwiched andsealed within the carrier, and a label removably or permanently adheredor coupled to the card and/or permanently adhered or coupled to aninterior of the carrier such that the bond to the carrier is greaterthan the bond to the card. The label may include a portion or anentirety of activation indicia, such as a barcode, either printed orotherwise applied thereon. In embodiments in which only a portion of theactivation indicia is applied to the label, the remaining indicia isapplied directly to the card, the carrier, or both.

In the event the card is removed from the carrier, the label remainscoupled to the interior of the carrier and releases from the card suchthat any activation indicia remaining on the card, the carrier, and/orthe label by itself is rendered unreadable by the cashier or scanner,such as a barcode scanner, thereby indicating evidence of tampering anda potentially compromised package. In embodiments in which the entiretyof the activation indicia is applied to the label, the activationindicia is not scannable without accessing the interior of the carrier,such access indicating tampering. In yet other embodiments, if a portionof the activation indicia is printed on the carrier, the label with theremaining activation indicia remains coupled to the card, such that theincomplete portions of the activation indicia on the carrier and thecard are rendered unreadable by themselves.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustratedembodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. Thefigures and the detailed description that follow more particularlyexemplify various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in considerationof the following detailed description of various embodiments inconnection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear exploded view of an exemplary card and label assemblyin accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a rear assembled view of the card and label assembly of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a carrier in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a rear assembly view of the card and label assembly of FIG. 1within the carrier of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5A-5D is a rear assembled view of a card and label assemblyaccording to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 6A-6E depicts a secure card and carrier assembly with removablelabel in accordance with an embodiment, in which—

FIG. 6A is an unfolded view of the card and carrier assembly beforeimaging,

FIG. 6B is a partially folded view of the assembly after imaging,

FIG. 6C is a folded view of the carrier assembly with the card removedfrom the assembly,

FIG. 6D is a plan view of an imaged inner panel of the assembly, and

FIG. 6E is a rear view of the imaged card of the assembly;

FIG. 7A is an unfolded internal view of a card and carrier assemblyaccording to another embodiment;

FIG. 7B is an unfolded external view of the card and carrier assembly ofFIG. 7A;

FIGS. 8A-8E depicts a secure card and carrier assembly with removablelabel in accordance with an embodiment, in which—

FIG. 8A is an unfolded view of the card and carrier assembly beforeimaging,

FIG. 8B is a partially folded view of the assembly after imaging,

FIG. 8C is a folded view of the carrier assembly with the card removedfrom the assembly,

FIG. 8D is a plan view of an imaged inner panel of the assembly, and

FIG. 8E is a rear view of the imaged card of the assembly; and

FIGS. 9A-9E depicts a secure card and carrier assembly with removablelabel in accordance with an embodiment, in which—

FIG. 9A is an unfolded view of the card and carrier assembly beforeimaging,

FIG. 9B is a partially folded view of the assembly before imaging,

FIG. 9C is a partially folded view of the assembly after imaging,

FIG. 9D is a folded view of the carrier assembly with the card removedfrom the assembly, and

FIG. 9E is a rear view of the imaged card assembly accessed foractivation.

While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications andalternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimedinventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined bythe claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments described below are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the followingdetailed description. Rather the embodiments are chosen and described sothat others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the entiredisclosure.

In embodiments, a stored value card and carrier assembly employs one ormore tamper evident labels and related methods. The label includes aportion or an entirety of the activation indicia, such as a barcode orQR code, either printed or otherwise applied thereon such that theactivation indicia is complete and readable, such as by scanning. Thelabel is secured to the card and the carrier, in which the bond to thecarrier is stronger than the bond to the card. Upon removal of the cardfrom the carrier, the label releases from the card, rendering theactivation indicia unreadable or unscannable, and the card thereforecannot be activated, because the activation indicia or a portion thereofremains on the label secured within the carrier. In embodiments in whichonly a portion of the activation indicia is applied to the label, theremaining indicia is applied directly to the card, which is renderedincomplete and therefore unreadable when the label is removed.

In an alternative embodiment, a portion of the activation indicia isprinted on a surface of the carrier and the remaining portion is printedon the label. When the label is positioned on the carrier, theactivation indicia is complete and readable, such as by scanning. Inthis embodiment, the bond of the label to the card is stronger than tothe carrier. Upon removal of the card from the carrier, the labelremains coupled to the card, rendering the activation indicia portionprinted on the label (and the remaining portion in the carrier)incomplete and unreadable such that the card, via scanning of theactivation indicia of the carrier, cannot be activated.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, an exemplary embodiment of a stored valuecard and carrier assembly 100 with tamper evident label is depicted.FIGS. 1 and 2 show a rear exploded and assembled view, respectively, ofa card and label assembly 102 of assembly 100. An inactive or activestored value card assembly 102 includes card 104 having an accountidentifying element 106, such as a magnetic stripe, encoded with machinereadable data, for metering transactions of an account, and anactivation indicia field 107 containing activation indicia 108, such asa bar code. Activation indicia 108, if properly scanned or otherwiseread at purchase, functions to activate the account tied to encodedmachine readable data of element 106. Card 104 can further optionallyinclude an account holder identifying element (not shown) such as analphanumeric human and/or machine readable identifier embossed orprinted on the card, and a signature panel 112. Other optional featurescan also be included on the stored value card, described in detailbelow.

A tamper evident label 114 is removably adhered to the card 104 inactivation indicia field 107. Label 114 can be white, clear, foil, orany of a variety of colors and transparencies, and comprise a single ormulti-ply poly label. An adhesive, such as a removable adhesive, coversat least a portion of an inner facing surface of label 114, which coversat least a portion of the activation indicia 108 printed thereon,without damaging card 104. In one embodiment, activation indicia 108 iscompletely printed (such as by drop on demand digital printing) orotherwise disposed on an outer facing surface of label 114. Activationindicia 108 on label 114, when coupled to card 104 is readable, such asby scanning, such that card 104 can be activated by a cashier uponpurchase.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a first portion 108 a ofactivation indicia 108 is printed or otherwise disposed on label 114,and a second remaining portion 108 b is printed or otherwise disposed,on card 104. In this embodiment of the invention, label 114 is adheredto card 104, and then activation indicia portions 108 a,108 b areprinted on label 114 and card 104 simultaneously such that exactpositioning of label 114 is not required to complete activation indicia108.

At least a portion of outer surface of label 114, with a portion or anentirety of activation indicia 108 applied thereto, also includes anadhesive 116, such as a permanent adhesive including hot glue, epoxy,radiation or moisture curable glue. For example, dots, stripes,coatings, or other patterns of a permanent adhesive are applied afterand/or before printing of activation indicia 108. In yet anotherembodiment, ink used to form activation indicia 108 on label 114 doublesas a permanent adhesive that is activatable once applied to label 114.

As mentioned above, once label 114 and card 104 are assembled,activation indicia 108 is readable, such as by scanning, to activate thecard upon purchase.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the card 104 is completely or partiallyenclosed within a carrier 120. Carrier 120 can comprise a single hingedpanel 122 folded over to enclose card 104, or can comprise two or morepanels secured together such as by heat sealing, ultrasonic welding,corresponding physical protrusions (with or without adhesive), any of avariety of sealing means, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, card104 is coupled to carrier 120 and not sandwiched between surfaces orpanels of carrier 120. In this embodiment, card 104 is coupled to thecarrier 120 via label 114.

Carrier 120, as illustrated, can comprise an optional opening oraperture 124 such that a portion of card 104, such as activation indicia108, can be viewable therethrough, and an aperture 130 completelythrough the carrier that can be used to hang the carrier in a retailestablishment display. The shapes of the apertures shown are exemplaryonly and other shapes are also contemplated.

As depicted in FIG. 4, carrier 120 can further comprise perforations ortabs, such as perforated tab 126 for accessing card 104. Tab 126 can bescore cut or perforated such that tab 126 extends through an entirety ofcarrier 120, or can be kiss cut through only an inner portion, such thatit is not evident on an exterior of carrier 120, yet provides a trackfor opening tab 126. Carrier 120 can further comprise perforated designsor burst patterns 128 to provide further tamper evident features. Forexample, patterns 128 can rupture upon breach of carrier 120, therebyindicating tampering.

In an embodiment, and as depicted in FIG. 4, card 104 is completelysecured within carrier 120 as shown. Complete enclosure provides themost protection from fraud for card 104. In alternative embodiments (notshown), the card can be partially enclosed within the carrier. Asdepicted in FIG. 4, label 114 is removably adhered to card 104 and aportion is permanently or destructively adhered to carrier 120. In thisembodiment, when assembled, activation indicia 108 is viewable throughaperture 124, and upon purchase, can be easily scanned or otherwise readby a cashier, to activate card 104 and the associated account withoutopening carrier 120.

When card 104 is removed from carrier 120, such as before purchase andactivation or after purchase and activation, label 114 remains securedto carrier 120, while releasing from card 104 such that only portion 108b of activation indicia 108 remains on card 104, and is thereforerendered unreadable for activation purposes or methods. Alternatively,if activation indicia 108 is entirely printed on label 114, noactivation indicia 108 is accessible on card 104 when removed fromcarrier 120. In the event that the card has already been purchased andactivated, activation indicia 108 is no longer needed. However, beforepurchase and activation, card 104 cannot be activated fraudulentlyand/or there is visual evidence that card 104 has been tampered with andmay be compromised, thereby reducing the occurrence of fraud.

In another embodiment of the invention, and referring now to FIGS.5A-5D, card and label assembly 200 includes a release coating 132applied directly to card 104. Activation indicia 108 is printed directlyon card 104 over release coating 132, and extending beyond releasecoating 132. Label 114 with adhesive 134 on an inner surface is appliedover at least a portion of activation indicia 108, and is also securedto the carrier (not shown) via an adhesive 136 on the outer surface oflabel 114 to secure card 104 to the carrier. In one particularembodiment, and as depicted in FIG. 5C, adhesive 134 is applied to theinner surface of label 114 only in a region that covers activationindicia 108, and permanent adhesive 136 is applied to an outer surfaceof label 114 in portions outside of activation indicia 108; however, oneor ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any of a variety ofconfigurations is possible.

Referring to FIG. 5D, upon removal of card 104 from the carrier,adhesive 136 remains bonded to the carrier (not shown), and label 114releases from card 104, pulling the activation indicia ink along withit, thereby rendering any remaining activation indicia on the cardincomplete and unreadable.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a release coating is notpresent and instead a suitable ink, such as a drop on demand ink, isused to form activation indicia 108 and has release properties such thatit functions as a release coating and activation 108 remains adhered tolabel 114 upon removal of label 114 from card 104.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6E, a card and carrier assembly 600 generallycomprises a multi-panel carrier 602, at least one stored value cards604, and a removable label 606 coupled to card 604. Referring to FIG.6A, carrier 602 includes a first panel 602 a, a second panel 602 b, andan inner panel 602 c having a first aperture 608 a and a second aperture608 b separated from first aperture 608 a by a portion 610 of panel 602c. Panels 602 a, b, c can be foldable with respect to one another ordiscrete panels adhere or otherwise coupled together.

Card 604 with blank removable label 606, i.e. a removable label havingno or partial activation indication imaged thereon, is coupled to firstpanel 602 a. Panel 602 b can optionally include a perforated or scoredpull tab 612 for accessing card 604 in the region of label 606 foractivation purposes, which will be described in more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 6B, in which the panels are foldable with respect toone another for exemplary purposes only, inner panel 602 c is foldedover to cover card 604 such that portions 606 a and 606 b of label 606are viewable through apertures 608 a and 608 b, while portion 610 ofpanel 602 c obscures a central portion 606 c of label 606. Referring toFIGS. 6B, 6D, and 6E, portions 606 a,b of label 606 and portion 610 ofpanel 602 c are then imaged simultaneously with human and/or machinereadable activation indicia 614, e.g. a barcode and/or alphanumericcharacters, such that the entire activation indicia 614 extends overportions 606 a,b of label 606 and portion 610 of panel 602 c. Onlypartial portions 614 a,b,c of activation indicia 614 are deposited oneach portion 606 a,b, and 610, respectively, such that each partialportion of activation indicia 614, is unreadable individually and card604 cannot be activated.

Referring to FIG. 6C, when assembled, inner panel 602 c and card 604with label 606 are sandwiched and secured between first and secondpanels 602 a,b. In use, to activate card 604, pull tab 612 is pulledopen via tab aperture 612 a and hinge aperture 612 b to access completeactivation indicia 614. Referring back to FIG. 6A in combination with6C, panels 602 a,b of carrier 602 can also included separating means616, such as perforations, scores, die cuts, kiss cuts, or the like,that when carrier 602 is assembled, form tear strip 618 along an edgethereof. Panel 602 c can also optionally include separating means forseparating panel 602 c from remaining carrier panels 602 a and/or 602 b.Tear strip 618 can be removed or separated from remaining carrier 602 toallow access to card 604 for removing card 604 after purchase andactivation.

However, as depicted in FIG. 6C, if card 604 is removed from carrier 602before activation, activation indicia 614 is disrupted as only partialportions 614 a,b of activation indicia 614 are available to be read andtherefore card 604 cannot be activated. Even if portions 614 a, b arereproduced, it would be difficult to replace a new card back withincarrier 602 without breaching carrier 602 with the alignment necessaryto form a complete and readable activation indicia 604.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a card and carrier assembly 700includes a multi-panel carrier 702 and a card 704 having activationindicia 706 imaged on a removable label 707 placed on card 704. Asdescribed above, carrier 702 can include first and second panels 702 a,band an inner panel 702 c. First panel 702 a includes a perforated orscored pull tab 708 for accessing activation indicia 706 of card 704 inthe region of for activation purposes. Panels 702 a,b and optionally 702c can include separating means 710 for forming tear strips 712 asdescribed above with respect to assembly 600.

Card 704 is coupled to inner panel 702 c, which is then folded over tosandwich panel 702 c and card 704 between panels 702 a,b. To activatecard 704, pull tab 708 is pulled back to reveal activation indicia 706.In most instances, human readable data, such as an alphanumericsequence, is imaged under machine readable indicia, such as a bar code,which is related to or is an alternative to the machine readableindicia. For example, if the machine readable indicia is not readable,the alphanumeric code can be entered manually to active. However, inthis embodiment, complete activation indicia 706 of card 704 includesonly machine-readable indicia, such as a barcode, with partial to nohuman readable indicia related to or which can otherwise be used toreconstruct activation indicia 706. For example, card 704 may include ahuman readable tracking number 711 that is unrelated to activationindicia 706. By not including human readable indicia associated withmachine readable activation indicia 706, it will be more difficult toreproduce a label with the entire activation indicia and place it on acard to commit fraud.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A-8E, a card and carrier assembly 800 generallycomprises a multi-panel carrier 802, at least one stored value cards804, and a removable label 806 coupled to card 804, almost identical tothe embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6E above, and corresponding reference numbersare used without repeating the description. In this embodiment, however,card 804 includes only machine-readable complete activation indicia 814,such as a barcode, with partial to no human readable indicia related toor which can otherwise be used to reconstruct activation indicia 814, asdescribed in the embodiment of FIGS. 7A,B. For example, card 804 mayinclude a human readable tracking number that is unrelated to activationindicia 814. By not including human readable indicia associated withmachine readable activation indicia 814 in combination with the labeland carrier combination, it will be more difficult to reproduce a labelwith the entire activation indicia and place it on a card to commitfraud.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9E, a card and carrier assembly 900 generallycomprises a multi-panel carrier 902, at least one stored value cards904, and a label 906 coupled to carrier 902. Referring to FIG. 9A,carrier 902 includes a first panel 902 a, a second panel 902 b, and aninner panel 902 c that is significantly smaller than panels 902 a,b, andwhich extends from an edge of panel 902 a. Label 906 is destructivelycoupled at a first end to a free end of panel 902 c. Label 906 can becoupled via adhesive. Alternatively, label 906 and panel 902 c can beconstructed of a heat sealable material such that label 906 is heatsealed to panel 902 c.

Card 904 having no activation indicia imaged thereon is coupled to firstpanel 902 a. Panel 902 b can optionally include a perforated or scoredpull tab 912 for accessing card for activation purposes, which will bedescribed in more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 9B, panel 902 c with label 906 are folded over card904, and panel 902 c and label 906 are affixed to card 904, optionallywith a releasable adhesive or glue so as not to permanently leaveresidue on card 904. Alternatively, label 906 can be coupled to card 904using no adhesive, and is affixed to the card such as by static cling orother static or mechanical forces. Referring to FIG. 9C, once panel 902c and label 906 are affixed to card 904, activation indicia 908 isimaged onto card 904 and label 906 such that a first portion 908 a isimaged directly on the card (or, if present, removable label coupled tothe card), and a second portion 908 b is imaged on label 906.Optionally, a third portion (not shown) can be imaged on panel 902 c.Once folded, card 904 and panel 902 c with label 906 are sandwichedbetween first and second panels 902 a,b and pull tab 912 obscuresactivation indicia 908.

Referring now to FIG. 9D, to activate card 904, pull tab 912 is pulledback (or completely removed) to reveal activation indicia 908 includingfirst and second portions 908 a, b. Activation indicia 908 is scanned orotherwise read to activate card 904. Referring now to FIG. 9E, in theevent card 904 is removed from assembly 900, label 906 with secondportion 908 b of activation indicia 908 remains adhered to the innerside of panel 902 c. Card 904 then only includes incomplete firstportion 908 a such that scanning or otherwise reading first portion 908a does not activate card 904. Carrier 902 would then have to be openedto access second portion 908 b, indicating tampering with assembly 900.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the label described in anyof embodiments above includes perforations. Upon removal of the cardfrom the carrier, the mode of failure is the perforations rather than orin combination with the adhesive coupling the label to the card. Aportion of the label, including some or all of the activation indicia,remains coupled to the card and separates from the remaining label,rendering any remaining activation indicia on the card incomplete andunreadable.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the label comprises at leasta two part label with a release coating or breakaway layer couplingfirst and second plies of the label. An adhesive couples the base ply ofthe label to the card. At least a portion of the activation indicia isprinted on a surface (such as an inner surface) of the breakaway ply orlayer of the label, while permanent adhesive couples the outer surfaceof the breakaway ply to the carrier. Upon removal of the card from thecarrier, the base ply remains coupled to card, while the breakaway layerwith at least a portion of activation indicia thereon remains coupled tothe carrier, rendering any activation indicia on the card incomplete andunreadable.

In any of the embodiments described herein, a label as described can beadditionally or alternatively applied to any other feature of the card,such as, for example, a PIN, card code verification number (CCV),account identifying element, or any of a variety of features orcombinations thereof.

Additional tamper evident packaging and/or labeling can be also becombined with embodiments described above including tamper evidentlabels as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/439,743,filed Feb. 22, 2017, and entitled “Stored Value Card and Carrier Systemwith Tamper Evident Label,” which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/397,907filed Sep. 21, 2016; 62/406,319 filed Oct. 10, 2016; and 62/491,422filed Apr. 28, 2017, all of which are entitled “Secure Packs forTransaction Cards,” and all of which are incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

The carriers of embodiments described herein can be formed from any of avariety of materials including, for example, paper, paper with a heatsealable or non-rewettable polymer layer mounted to the inside of thepanel, polymeric materials such as heat sealable or non-rewettablepolymers, other synthetic materials with or without heat sealable ornon-rewettable polymer layer(s) mounted to the inside of the panel, orcombinations thereof. The non-rewettable polymer or polymer layer(s) caninclude, for example, can comprise amorphous polyethylene terephthalate,PETG, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or combinations thereof, and can beclear, opaque (color or white), semi-opaque (color or white), orcombinations thereof. The inner and/or outer layers or surfaces of thepanels can printed, decorated, embellished, or otherwise adorned by anyof a variety of means including, but not limited to, conventional and/ordigital printing, metallization, foil lamination, foil stamping,embossing, and/or screen printing.

The details regarding the components of these embodiments of the storedvalue card and carrier assembly of the invention are described in detailbelow:

In general, stored value cards according to embodiments are forms oftransaction instruments associated with transaction accounts, in whichthe stored value cards provide cash equivalent value that may be usedwithin an existing payment/transaction infrastructure. Stored valuecards are frequently referred to as gift, pre-paid or cash cards, inthat money is deposited in an account associated with the card beforeuse of the cards is allowed. In general, such an account may be used fortransactions between a user and a merchant through any suitablecommunication means, such as, for example, a telephone network,intranet, the global, public Internet, a point of interaction device,online communications, off-line communications, wireless communications,and the like. They may also be used in person at any point of sale(automated or not) that accepts them. The type of stored value card maybe a gift card, loyalty card, credit or debit card, health card, phonecard, pre-paid phone card, membership card, identification card, ringtone card, or any other type of card. The stored value card may be anysuch transaction instrument associated with any such transactionaccount.

The stored value card is typically the size and shape of a conventionalcredit card (i.e., CR80), although other sizes and shapes are possible,such as, for example, card and carrier embodiments depicted anddescribed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0031624,incorporated by reference in its entirety above. The stored value cardis commonly made of plastic, wood, or paper, however other materials,such as other synthetic or natural materials are also contemplated.

As discussed above, the stored value card includes an accountidentifying element (e.g. 108), such as a magnetic stripe,radiofrequency identification (RFID), bar code, QR code, text(recognized by Optical Character Recognition (OCR)), and/or smart chip,for example. The account identifying element is encoded with data, whichincludes a unique account number. If the stored value card includes amagnetic stripe, that magnetic stripe may comprise a plastic filmincluding tiny magnetic particles that can be magnetized in certaindirections to record data on the card, which may be read by a cardreader. If the stored value card includes a bar code, the bar code maycomprise machine-readable data, which may be alpha-numeric. Bar codedata includes black and white lines arranged to represent a series ofnumbers (e.g., a bar code comprising a Universal Product Code (UPC) hastwelve digits) to a bar code scanner (printed account identifyingelements). Other current or future developed account identifyingelements are also possible. Also, more than one account identifyingelement may be included on the stored value card, and in any location.

The stored value card may include embossed or non-embossed features,such as an account number, card issuer name or logo, card holder's name,expiration date, etc. An account identifying element(s) on the storedvalue card may be embossed (including at least one raised portion (e.g.,letters, designs), or protuberance, etc.), or non-embossed.

An advantage of the embodiments is that currently existing carriers andstored value cards may be used without modification. The tamper evidentlabel may simply be added to current carriers and cards to preventfraud. Therefore, the cost of implementing such a change to existingsystems is low.

Another advantage is that the tamper evident label indicates tamperingor fraud by rendering activation indicia on the card and/or labelunreadable, while the label does not damage the card when removed. As aresult, the card and carrier remain attractive for gift-giving purposesafter activation.

Yet another advantage is that the tamper evident label provides adequateadhesion, destructibility and removability. The label is alsoadvantageously able to adhere to both a paper printed surface and aplastic card, the bond with the carrier being stronger than the bondwith the card such that upon removal of the card from the package, thelabel releases from the card while remaining adhered to the package, orvice versa in alternative embodiments.

Generally, in embodiments, a stored value card and carrier assembly cancomprise a carrier, a stored value card, and a tamper evident label, afirst surface of the label being adhered to the stored value card, and asecond opposite surface being adhered to the carrier. The label caninclude at least a portion of activation indicia, the activation indiciabeing readable to activate the stored value card, and removal of thestored value card from the carrier causes the label to remain coupled toone of the carrier or the card, rendering any remaining activationindicia on the other of the stored value card or carrier unreadable. Anentirety of the activation indicia can be disposed on the label, andremoval of the card from the carrier causes the label to release fromthe card and remain coupled to the carrier such that the activationindicia is not present on the card. Alternatively, a first portion ofthe activation indicia is disposed on the label, and a second portion ofthe activation indicia is disposed on the card, and removal of the cardfrom the carrier causes the label to release from the card and remainwithin the carrier such that the activation indicia on the card isincomplete and unreadable. In yet another alternative embodiment, afirst portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the label, and asecond portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the carrier, andremoval of the card from the carrier causes the label to release fromthe carrier and remain on the card such that the activation indicia onthe carrier is incomplete and unreadable.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the first surface of the labelincludes a removable adhesive for adhering the label to the card, andthe second surface of the label includes a permanent adhesive foradhering the label to the carrier. A bond between the label and thecarrier is stronger than a bond between the label and the card.Preferably, the removable adhesive is removable from the card withoutdamaging the card. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the assemblydoes not include any complete alphanumeric human readable indiciarelated to the activation indicia.

In other embodiments, a stored value card and carrier assembly cancomprise a carrier, a stored value card sandwiched within the carrier, alabel, of which a first surface of the label being adhered to the storedvalue card, and activation indicia. The label can include a firstportion of activation indicia, and the carrier can include a secondportion of the activation indicia, the activation indicia in itsentirety being machine- and/or human-readable to activate the storedvalue card, and removal of the stored value card from the carrier causesthe first portion of the activation indicia to remain coupled to thecard via the label, rendering the second portion on the carrierunreadable to activate the card. In certain non-limiting embodiments,the carrier includes structure defining an aperture, in which the firstportion of the activation indicia is viewable through the aperture, andthe second portion of the activation indicia is adjacent the aperturesuch that the first portion and the second portion are aligned andreadable to activate the card.

The label can further include a third portion of the activation indiciaspaced apart from the first portion, in which the carrier includesstructure defining a second aperture spaced apart from the firstaperture via a portion of the carrier extending therebetween, the secondportion of the activation indicia being printed on the portion of thecarrier. The third portion of the activation indicia can be viewablethrough the second aperture. In certain non-limiting embodiments, thecarrier can comprise a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel,the card being coupled to the first panel, and the third panel includesstructure defining an aperture. The second portion of the activationindicia is disposed on the third panel adjacent the aperture, and, whenassembled, the third panel is sandwiched between the first panelcontaining the card and the second panel and the first portion of theactivation indicia is viewable through the aperture, and the first andsecond portions of the activation indicia are aligned and readable toactivate the card. The label can further include a third portion of theactivation indicia spaced apart from the first portion, and the thirdpanel includes structure defining a second aperture spaced apart fromthe first aperture via a portion of the third panel extendingtherebetween, the second portion of the activation indicia being printedon the portion of the third panel. The third portion of the activationindicia can be viewable through the second aperture, and is aligned withthe first and second portions such that the activation indicia isreadable to activate the card.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the second panel includes structuredefining a pull tab such that, when assembled, the pull tab obscures theat least one of the first and second portions of the activation indicia,and is configured to be pulled back to reveal the activation indicia inits entirety. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the first, second andthird panels each include structure defining a tamper evident tear stripportion, such that, when assembled, the carrier includes a tamperevident tear strip along a single edge of the carrier, the tear stripbeing configured to be destructively removed to allow access to the cardwithin the carrier. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the assemblydoes not include any complete alphanumeric human readable indiciarelated to the activation indicia.

In yet other embodiments, a stored value card and carrier assembly cancomprise a multi-panel carrier including a first panel, a second panel,and a third panel extending from an edge of the first panel, a storedvalue card positioned on the first panel, a label, of which a firstportion of the label is coupled to the third panel, and the third panelis foldable onto the first panel and a second portion of the label iscoupled the card positioned on the first panel. When assembled, thefirst and second panels sandwich the third panel and card therebetween.The assembly can further comprise activation indicia, and the labelincludes a first portion of the activation indicia deposited thereon,and the card includes a second portion of the activation indiciadeposited thereon. When the assembly is assembled, the first and secondportions are aligned and the activation indicia is readable to activatethe stored value card, and removal of the stored value card from thecarrier causes the label having the first portion thereon to remaincoupled to the third panel, rendering the second portion of theactivation indicia on the card unreadable.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the label comprises a polymericlabel, the first portion of the label being adhered via a permanentadhesive to a free end of the third panel, and wherein the secondportion of the label is coupled, optionally via a removable adhesive tothe card. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the label and the thirdpanel comprises a non-rewettable polymeric material, and the firstportion of the label is heat sealed to a free end of the third panel,and the second portion of the label is coupled, optionally via aremovable adhesive, to the card. In certain non-limiting embodiments,the first panel and second panel are foldable relative to each other toform front and back panels of the assembly. Alternatively, the firstpanel and second panel are discrete panels that when assembly, areadhered to each other to form front and back panels of the assembly. Incertain non-limiting embodiments, the second panel includes structuredefining a pull tab, such that, when assembled, the pull tab isconfigured to obscure at least one of the first and second portions ofthe activation indicia, and the pull tab is configured to be pulled backto reveal the first and second portions of the activation indicia. Incertain non-limiting embodiments, a third portion of the activationindicia is deposited on the third panel, the third portion being alignedwith the first and second portions when the assembly is assembled suchthat the activation indicia is readable to activate the card.

Various embodiments of assemblies, devices, and methods have beendescribed herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example andare not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It shouldbe appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodimentsthat have been described may be combined in various ways to producenumerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials,dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have beendescribed for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides thosedisclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimedinventions.

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that thesubject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated inany individual embodiment described above. The embodiments describedherein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways inwhich the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined.Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations offeatures; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination ofdifferent individual features selected from different individualembodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can beimplemented in other embodiments even when not described in suchembodiments unless otherwise noted.

Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specificcombination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can alsoinclude a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter ofeach other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features withother dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposedherein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such thatno subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicitdisclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above isfurther limited such that no claims included in the documents areincorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference ofdocuments above is yet further limited such that any definitionsprovided in the documents are not incorporated by reference hereinunless expressly included herein.

For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended thatthe provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless thespecific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stored value card and carrier assembly, the assembly comprising: a carrier; a stored value card; and a tamper evident label, a first surface of the label being adhered to the stored value card, and a second opposite surface being adhered to the carrier via an adhesive, wherein the label includes at least a portion of activation indicia, the activation indicia being readable to activate the stored value card, wherein the first surface of the label includes a removable adhesive for adhering the label to the card, and wherein the adhesive on the second surface of the label comprises a permanent adhesive for permanently adhering the label to the carrier, wherein a bond between the label and the carrier is stronger than a bond between the label and the card, and wherein the assembly is configured such that removal of the stored value card from the carrier without opening the assembly causes the label to remain coupled to the carrier, rendering the activation indicia unreadable.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an entirety of the activation indicia is disposed on the label, and wherein the assembly is configured such that removal of the card from the carrier causes the label to release from the card and remain coupled to the carrier such that the activation indicia is not present on the card.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the label, and a second portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the card, and wherein the assembly is configured such that removal of the card from the carrier causes the label to release from the card and remain within the carrier such that the activation indicia on the card is incomplete and unreadable.
 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the label, and a second portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the carrier, and wherein the assembly is configured such that removal of the card from the carrier causes the label to release from the carrier and remain on the card such that the activation indicia on the carrier is incomplete and unreadable.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the removable adhesive is removable from the card without damaging the card.
 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly does not include any complete alphanumeric human readable indicia related to the activation indicia.
 7. A stored value card and carrier assembly, the assembly comprising: a carrier; a stored value card sandwiched within the carrier, wherein the carrier comprises a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, the card being coupled to the first panel; a label, a first surface of the label being adhered to the stored value card; and activation indicia, wherein the label includes a first portion of activation indicia, and the carrier includes a second portion of the activation indicia, the activation indicia in its entirety being machine- and/or human-readable to activate the stored value card, wherein the third panel includes structure defining an aperture, and the second portion of the activation indicia is disposed on the third panel adjacent the aperture, wherein, when assembled, the third panel is sandwiched between the first panel containing the card and the second panel and the first portion of the activation indicia is viewable through the aperture, and the first and second portions of the activation indicia are aligned and readable to activate the card, and wherein the assembly is configured such that removal of the stored value card from the carrier causes the first portion of the activation indicia to remain coupled to the card via the label, rendering the second portion on the carrier unreadable to activate the card.
 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the carrier includes structure defining an aperture, wherein the first portion of the activation indicia is viewable through the aperture, and wherein the second portion of the activation indicia is adjacent the aperture such that the first portion and the second portion are aligned and readable to activate the card.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the label includes a third portion of the activation indicia spaced apart from the first portion, wherein the carrier includes structure defining a second aperture spaced apart from the first aperture via a portion of the carrier extending therebetween, the second portion of the activation indicia being printed on the portion of the carrier, and wherein the third portion of the activation indicia is viewable through the second aperture.
 10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the label includes a third portion of the activation indicia spaced apart from the first portion, wherein the third panel includes structure defining a second aperture spaced apart from the first aperture via a portion of the third panel extending therebetween, the second portion of the activation indicia being printed on the portion of the third panel, and wherein the third portion of the activation indicia is viewable through the second aperture, and is aligned with the first and second portions such that the activation indicia is readable to activate the card.
 11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the second panel includes structure defining a pull tab such that, when assembled, the pull tab obscures the at least one of the first and second portions of the activation indicia, and is configured to be pulled back to reveal the activation indicia in its entirety.
 12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first, second and third panels each include structure defining a tamper evident tear strip portion, such that, when assembled, the carrier includes a tamper evident tear strip along a single edge of the carrier, the tear strip being configured to be destructively removed to allow access to the card within the carrier.
 13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the assembly does not include any complete alphanumeric human readable indicia related to the activation indicia.
 14. A stored value card and carrier assembly, the assembly comprising: a multi-panel carrier including a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel extending from an edge of the first panel; a stored value card positioned on the first panel; a label, wherein a first portion of the label is coupled to the third panel via an adhesive, and wherein the third panel is foldable onto the first panel and a second portion of the label is coupled the card positioned on the first panel, and wherein, when assembled, the first and second panels sandwich the third panel and card therebetween; and activation indicia, wherein the label includes a first portion of the activation indicia deposited thereon, and the card includes a second portion of the activation indicia deposited thereon, wherein, when the assembly is assembled, the first and second portions are aligned and the activation indicia is readable to activate the stored value card, and wherein removal of the stored value card from the carrier causes the label having the first portion thereon to remain coupled to the third panel, rendering the second portion of the activation indicia on the card unreadable.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the label comprises a polymeric label, wherein the first portion of the label is adhered via a permanent adhesive to a free end of the third panel, and wherein the second portion of the label is coupled via a removable adhesive to the card.
 16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the label and the third panel comprises a non-rewettable polymeric material, and wherein the first portion of the label is heat sealed to a free end of the third panel, and wherein the second portion of the label is coupled via a removable adhesive to the card.
 17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the first panel and second panel are foldable relative to each other to form front and back panels of the assembly.
 18. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the first panel and second panel are discrete panels that when assembly, are adhered to each other to form front and back panels of the assembly.
 19. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the second panel includes structure defining a pull tab, such that, when assembled, the pull tab is configured to obscure at least one of the first and second portions of the activation indicia, and the pull tab is configured to be pulled back to reveal the first and second portions of the activation indicia.
 20. The assembly of claim 14, wherein a third portion of the activation indicia is deposited on the third panel, the third portion being aligned with the first and second portions when the assembly is assembled such that the activation indicia is readable to activate the card. 